Mission & History

Our Mission

The mission of the AANEM Foundation is the promotion and advancement of neuromuscular (NM) and electrodiagnostic (EDX) education and scientific research and the promotion of health for patients with neuromuscular diseases. The Foundation Board has identified that the strategic goal for the coming year is to fund research and develop the next generation of researchers to advance the science and practice of NM and EDX medicine.

AANEM Foundation History

The AANEM Foundation for Research and Education was incorporated in 1995 as the AAEM Foundation for Research and Education. It was established as a supporting charitable nonprofit organization of the AANEM to carry out the charitable, educational, and scientific activities of the AANEM. The name changed in 2004 to reflect the expanded mission of the association. The Foundation’s Board of Directors is composed of the voting Board members of the AANEM. From 1999-2009 the Foundation provided pilot study grants to encourage research in the field. In late 2011, the AANEM Foundation for Research & Education offered a $500,000 request for proposal to fund a large scale research project in electrodiagnostic and neuromuscular medicine. There were 17 applications received. A project was chosen but due to difficulties, the project was never funded. In 2015, the AANEM reached out to the Muscular Dystrophy Association to discuss the possibility of cofunding research project in the area of neuromuscular diseases received by the MDA. The MDA agreed to the partnership and the AANEM began cofunding research with the MDA. Also in 2015, the Foundation received funding for two research fellowships. The fellowship were filled in 2016 and 2017. In 2016, the Foundation also announced that the AANEM would fund their own development grants. In the fall of 2016, the AANEM transferred $3M to the AANEM Foundation to fund these research activities and to help encourage further growth of the Foundation’s activities. Throughout its history, the Foundation has funded the President’s Research Award, the Golseth Award, the Best Abstract Award and provided grants for physicians from disadvantaged countries and residents and fellows to attend the AANEM annual meeting.